Rubious make a stand

Winston Churchill favoured it, as did Benjamin Franklin, and Virginia Woolf. Leonardo da Vinci was a fan (although he may have also been a fan of star jumps – look at the Vitruvian Man?!). They all had ‘standing desks’ and, if it’s good enough for the likes of those icons, it’s good enough for Rubious.

With much time spent working on screens, we wanted to gradually move away from desks that forced us to sit all day long, and we considered alternatives. Our research showed us that, although sitting for more than three hours a day carries some health issues, standing all day brings with it things like varicose veins (although we’re not aiming to model the latest line of swimming trunks, we’d like to avoid such things as far as possible!). So, we’ve opted for the middle ground – adjustable height desks for all staff.

We all know that sitting at a desk all day isn’t good for anyone – it’s linked to obesity, increased blood pressure etc – however, there are also risks associated with moving straight into standing all day long too. Giving ourselves the option to sit or stand by adjusting our desk height, means that we have the flexibility we need – and we have to take a break for a few minutes to make the adjustment. Time away from our screens, even for a few minutes is an added benefit and, as we can work at a height to suit us, we’re far more comfortable and productive.

It’s made a huge difference to all of us. We’d thoroughly recommend it. However, if you do spend long periods of time at your desk, and/or in front of a screen, ergonomically it’s best to consider the optimum height for comfort – here’s a good guide from the Mayo Clinic.

So, thanks in part to da Vinci, we’re making a stand in 2017 and are much happier for it!